The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-04-28

nifed ride on the elevated road. been
| knocked down by truck horse and mar
rowly escaped falling of pier.
At four O'Clock he struggled up Frankfort
street for the secont time that day, but
now he had firm hold of his mothers skirt
The human tide had turned the other way
| and was slryIny up and down by this time,
| but Corley's mother breasted it bravely.
while the cripple hoped on in her WAKE
whistling like a LARK. Into the pushing,
bowling and clawing mob Of women and
children around the delivery window OF one
| OF the evening newspaper Offices the mother
and son sailed courageously. All the news
| boys of lower New York were there fight
| ing for precedence. In the window selling
the papers was young man with cigar IN
| his mouth and cold, calm eye. be ad-
| dressed his customers with great familiar
| ity, never preixing Mrs. 10 the names Of the
women, and counting his papers with Won
derful raDidity. No one could get tsc papers
out OF his hands before the money passed
in:O them. He had clear cut, refined AMI
handsome face.
For time Corxey amused himself by
! putting small stones on the car tracks. and
then he fell to building a house OF chips in
the gutter, as unconscious of the hum and
rumble and roar around him as though
| alone on Manhattan Island.
The hours went by. The boy grew tired
of the gutter and followed the lamplighteT
down Beekman street till he cam. to the
river. After two or three rebuffs he stole
under truck at Fulton ferry and went
across on the boat several times.
When he was put ashore again on the
New York side. Corkey went whistling up
Fulton street till he suddenly ran across a
big boy who was sitting in a doorway and
staring morosely at his toes. Corkey ap-
preached him softly-fOr the boy was Of
Importance, having once been in the house
of correction, and SAID:
"Wanter 60 to the tee-atter, Chimmie?"
''What on!' said Jimmie, laconically.
Il got mum"
''Yaas y haveI' increduously.
''WeIl 1 tell VI 1 have"
''Weu, dom say v havelr asked jim
ME in a cOnciliatory way. Then in a more
business-like tone, ''lemme see it."
Corkcy save him all his money, and with
| in half an hour they were slowed away
fifty feet up in the air with hundreds of
other boys looking down at Bowery vari-
ETY. show. 1t was short dream to COrkey.
The curtain fell at eleven o'clock, and the
little cripple was pushed and borne in the
wild mob down the black and dangerous
stairway to the street, where he fell on his
knees against the door-post, faint, bruised
breathless and in tears. But he struggled
up and clutched his companion just as that
amiable youth was striding away.
''Hullo, Malohey," ne said quietly, as
Corkey's mother fought her way toward
him. "How many to-day!''
''Thirty-sivin, may tn Lord luv We, Mis-
ther Alfred
81 hear, Maloney," said the young man
calmly, as he whisked the papers to her,
''that McGrath threatens to kick the head
of of you this evening at the bridge"
''She does, does she!" screamed the
woman wildly, but before she could say
more the crowd threw her aside, and the
man in the window turned his imperturb-
able face toward the next customer.
Corkey was still clinging to the stalwart
woman's skirts as she emerged from the
crowd to catch her breath.
'Are yez goin' to lick Mrs. McGrath,
midder!" he asked gleeTully, looking up at
her.
"Howld yer Jaw"
''Cause she said v wuz an Irish guy."
"a guy, is it!'
"Shure," said Corkey, solemnly, and
without any outward indication that he was
lying, II heard her say it meselr'
Mrs. Maloney bit her lip, but she was
obliged to postpone her revenge and go
sturdily to work selling her papers and ut
tering an objurgatiOn on the head of the
hated McGrath with every breath.
''Don' take all me money, Chimmie!'' he
sobbed, line legs hurted so bad l kin never
walk t. d. bridge"
The other boy drew back his SCARED fist
and, without word, struck the cripple in
the face, sending him reeling helplessly
against a post, whence he fell into the
gutter aud lay there, sobbing bitterly.
No one cared. 1t was street arab in
trouble: nothing more. The boys hands
were clasped over his eyes.
There was a nhise further up the street,
louder than the din of the elevated road and
the incessant jangle of the surface cars.
Above the Gathering of iron-shOd hoOfS
could be heard the clang of gong. The
child glanced up affrIghtedly toward the
fire engine that was laundering down on
him, scrambled to his feet, tottered blindly
about for an instant, and fell in the path OF
the hlunging horses with his clenched hands
outstretched for mercy and the white face
turned upward. There were hoarse shouts
from a dozen throats and the shrill scream
of a woman rent the air. The driver threw
himself back and strained at the reins as
the horses rose in the air, but the rush was
too great and the huge engine passed over
the crippled boy and crushed out the last
spark of life.
So ended the last day in the life of child
of the slums of New York.-B,Gssly w.
Hall, IN Y. Y. Nail and Express.